Rorquals
Rorquals (Balaenopteridae) are a large group of whales that contain some of the best known species like humpback whales, blue whales, minke and fin whales.
They are found in all the oceans of the world and all species are migratory. Most species live in cool waters and migrate to warm waters to breed. They are large whales (blue whale is the largest animal in the world) with a large head, baleens, and chest and throat furrows. Hence the name rorquals, which means "furrow whale" or "tube whale" in Norwegian. All the whales in the group have been hunted for their baleen, meat, oil and other products.
Humpback Whale
Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) is one of the commonest whales to see on photos - they put on excellent surface display and they are found almost everywhere in the world - in all oceans, except polar waters. They can weigh up to 30 tonnes - not as large as right whales but still larger than most other whales in the world. There are about 7,000 individuals in the world, and the species is not endangered.
Blue Whale
Blue
Whale (Balaenoptera
musculus)
is the largest animal that has ever lived on the Earth. It can be up to
120 tonnes heavy - a weight only possible thanks to water buoyancy.
When
these animals are out of water, they die because their inner organs are
crushed by their own weight. Like Humpback Whales, they are found in
all world's oceans except polar waters. There are about 12,000
individuals left today and the species is endangered.
Fin Whales
Fin Whales (Balaenoptera physalus) are the second largest of rorquals and like Blue and Humpback Whales, they are found in all the world's oceans except polar regions. They can weigh up to 75 tonnes, they are relatively fast swimmers, and as opposed to most other whales yhey are believed to be monogamous as they are often seen in pairs. And they like deep waters. There are about 64,000 individuals and the species is endangered.
Sei Whales
Sei Whales (Balaenoptera borealis) are smaller - up to 25 tonnes heavy and often about 15 metres long. They like pelagic waters, they are often seen in groups of 2-5, and they have got almost the same distribution as the whales above, although their range ends a bit farther from the poles. There are about 57,000 individuals and the species is endangered.
Minke Whale Species
There are two species of Minke Whales. Both can weigh up to about 9 tonnes and their exact population sizes are not known. The Northern Minke Whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) is found in the waters between Equator and northern polar regions, and is classified nearly threatened. The Southern Minke Whale (Balaenoptera bonaerensis) is found in waters between the Equator and southern polar regions, and is classified conservation dependent.
Brydes Whale Species
There are two species of Brydes Whale too. The Brydes Whale (Balaenoptera brydei) can weigh about 18 tonnes and is found mostly in warm waters between about 0-40 degrees latitudes in both hemispheres. Pygmy Brydes Whale (Balaenoptera edeni) is smaller, weighs about 12 tonnes, and its distribution is not exactly known.
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Pygmy Right Whale
